Taking the train from Germany to Poland is not for the faint of heart—not because it’s dangerous, but because it takes a while to get there. I took an early morning train (around 4 AM) and arrived in Warsaw around noon. I walked from the station to my hostel, admiring the Palace of Culture and Science, which stands apart from the rest of the cityscape. After checking into my hostel and dropping off my bags, I walked towards Manekin, a crepe house. Manekin is an affordable option, perfect for my “budget” trip. I recommend it for lunch or dinner as its crepes are filling aknd feature classic Polish foods.

From there, I caught a bus to Old Town to visit Warsaw Castle. I purchased tickets to see the royal apartments. A castle has stood in this spot since at least the late 12th century, though it would have been wooden at the time. Janusz I (14th century) began transforming the castle to brick. Unfortunately for Poland, after the Congress of Vienna in 1815, the Russian Tsars took over the administration and control of Poland, relegating Warsaw Castle to a simple seat of power for Russian civil and military authorities until 1915. In 1918, Poland gained independence. Nearly destroyed during World War II, the castle was eventually reconstructed and restored in May 2019 (though it first opened to the public in 1984).

I loved this castle. William often says he got “castled out” while we lived in Europe because, how many castles can you see before they blend together? But this one was gorgeous. I especially loved the throne room with its embroidered silver eagles on the back of the throne. There is also a fantastic clock that doesn’t really look like a clock. The two bands of the globe on Atlas’ back turn in opposite directions while his scythe points to the time. It’s incredibly unique—do not miss it!

After spending about three hours at the castle, I walked around the Old Town area, seeing a few protests (always cool to see Democracy in action) before stopping for some pierogi and Polish beer.

Day Two: Museums and Music

The next day, I headed towards a few museums. My first stop was the Zacheta, the National Gallery of Art. While I’ve occasionally found myself tired of all the art in Europe, this museum was a breath of fresh air. The art was modern (actually modern, not modern art), and tackled hard issues of today, such as the Russo-Ukrainian War.

From there, I walked across the street to the National Museum of Ethnography. Ethnography museums can be difficult to do well without minimizing or othering the people represented. This museum does a fairly decent job. One of my favorite rooms is the permanent exhibition, “The Order of Things.” This room doesn’t have a ton of signs, so be prepared, but it showcases many tools used for farming, fishing, gathering, handcrafts, and agriculture created between the 1840s and the 1970s. It’s amazing how much technology has changed us, yet some tools remain unchanged (like forks and knives). If you have children, I recommend bringing them here. There are a lot of interactive displays, and the museum is very attentive to what children find interesting. From here, I walked towards the Monument to the Heroes of Warsaw, a statue of Nike.

At this point, I stopped for coffee and lunch. While sitting down, I purchased tickets to see a Chopin concert in Old Town. I highly recommend doing this. Any of the concerts work, but I went to one in an intimate, candle-lit room with a professional piano player and Polish mead. Listening to an hour and a half of Chopin was heavenly. I went in the off-season, so you might want to purchase your tickets a little earlier than I did.

After lunch, I walked towards the National Museum in Warsaw and enjoyed their exhibits. I focused primarily on the Gallery of Medieval Art, the Gallery of Ancient Art, and the Gallery of Polish Design. While some may turn away from the idea of seeing a gallery of mass-produced objects in the Gallery of Polish Design, I encourage you to go anyway. While some of it looks like Ikea, other pieces are extremely unique compared to the mass-produced designs seen in the United States.

For dinner, I went to Georgia (Restauracja Gruzja). I love Georgian food. I fell in love with it during my time in St. Petersburg, Russia. So, getting the chance to dig in was fantastic. I went early since I was dining solo and they didn’t have a bar area, so I didn’t take up a table during their busier time. I ordered several dishes (Khachapuri Acharuli, Chinkali, and Broth with Pelmieni)—more than I could eat, but they made for a great breakfast the next day.

Day Three: Castles, Tullips, and Vodka

On my final day in Warsaw before heading to Vilnius, I visited Wilanów Palace. Built in the 17th century by King John III, it has survived partitions and world wars, and remains one of the best examples of baroque architecture in Poland. If you are in Warsaw, you must stop here. The art is amazing, with pieces you cannot see anywhere else, old books, and the Nanban table from Japan. There is also a storage space accessible to visitors where you can see items otherwise kept away from windows and light.

Luckily for me, the same day I visited Wilanów Palace, there was a tulip festival on the grounds. I was able to get a breath of fresh, spring air, even though the weather was still in the 40s.

After seeing Wilanów Palace, I quickly grabbed a bus to a different part of town to visit the Polish Vodka Museum. After an in-depth tour of an old vodka distillery and seeing old vodka bottles from over a century ago, I participated in a vodka tasting with five different vodkas. One interesting fact I learned is that in Poland, people do not like potato vodka, preferring rye instead. They suggested that people with a more sugar-based diet tend to like potato vodka, while those who eat more pickled foods prefer rye. Ironically, I really liked the rye whiskey. It was almost smoky, which I appreciated. I also learned the habit of drinking vodka cold mainly comes from people drinking bad vodka during the Soviet era. Good vodka, they explained, should be drunk at room temperature so you can taste the flavors.

After this, I was pretty tired from the previous days, so I headed back to my hostel and took an early night to prepare for traveling to Lithuania the next day. I encourage you to visit Warsaw, it is a city full of history, culture, and vibrant life. Enjoy every moment of your adventure!